Arrested Love

Of course, Emi-liar took advantage of the latest strained relationship between Sebastian and Catalina to crawl into the gap. She embraced Sebastian and assured him that she would always be there for him.

As Sebastian tries to pull away, telling her he still loved Catalina, Emilia closed in on him and kissed him. Catalina was confused, because she still did not know the reason for the latest and sudden depression and disaffection by Sebastian, nobody told her the reason.

Panchito came to advise Catalina not to give up on Sebastian, if she truly loved him. he told her to summon up courage and go out there to bring home her grieving husband. She obeyed and went to search Sebastian, but was amazed at the speed with which Emilia had crept into Sebastian's arms and life. Catalina found Sebastian and Emiliar passionately kissing each other.

She lost the remnant of her courage and was tempted to turn back at the perfidious sight, to give up Sebastian, and return alone to Mexico city to start life afresh, from the scratch. But she refused, and slugged it out with crafty Emilia, she even assured Emilia that in the event that Sebastian divorces her, he would never come to or marry Emilia.

Father Geronimo rebuked Carmelo for rejoicing about town claiming that he was Lupe's real son. Carmelo defended himself by assuring the priest that once that mystery letter by late Matilda is found, it would explain his strong feelings that Lupe was his unknown father. The priest told him that he should be grateful to Lupe for being so generously kind to him. He even warned him not to meddle with Antoniete because she was always fomenting trouble for Lupe. He concluded that if he finds the letter, he would rather give it to Lupe, Sebastian or Martina, because it was their mom's letter.

A growing affection and mutual respect is becoming noticeable between Gustavo and Petra. Petra decided to privily investigate the background of Catalina because she was disappointed in the evil schemes of Carmelo against her. So, she requested to go to Mexico city with Lupe and Luisa. They were happy to extend that courtesy to her, so she traveled with them to the Penthouse in Mexico city.

Petra was mollified by the outward appearance of riches. She was confused, wondering why this rich people wanted to marry off Catalina to Sebastian for money which they already have. Gustavo told her that all she saw were debts and not riches.

When Luisa reminded her father that Adela would be angry that they brought a poor Tamale woman to their penthouse. Gustavo got furious and told her that he was tired of taking orders from 'queen' Adela. He reminded Luisa how Petra rescued them and provided shelter and food for them when stranded in Hacienda, when nobody would touch them with a 10 feet pole.

Lupe was exceedingly worried, to the point of sickness when he learnt that Sebastian had traveled to Mexico to fight with Eduardo and defend his 'love' for Catalina. As Carmelo and Martina were leading Lupe to rest in his room, Emilia whispered to Carmelo to take advantage and go to meet Catalina who was alone at home, so he could woo her with money, in the absence of Sebastian. Carmelo took heed and rushed to Catalina's hut.

When Sebastian got to the city he went to the gym to threaten Eduardo to leave his wife alone, or he would 'get rid' of him. Eduardo mocked him and told him to divorce Catalina, but he replied by saying he would never divorce Catalina.

Sebastian's trip to the city ended up for him in prison custody. It took the desperate and loving efforts of Catalina's testimony to get him freed. She rushed down from the village to free him from the villains- Silvia and Eduardo. Much about this at the next episode....

Another Romantic Abortion!

In the warfare to separate Sebastian and Catalina, there are no permanent foes, but permanent interests. Strange bed-fellows are rapidly aligning. Who would have imagined that Eduardo and Vanity boy, Ricardo, would be allies? Now another strange couple have come together, Emilia y Adela, they began to earnestly plot a coup to abort the marriage of Catalina y Sebastian.

Sebastian bluntly refused to apologize to Carmelo as commanded by his father, Lupe. He said he was sure that Carmelo had inordinate romantic interest in his wife, Catalina.

When news filtered to Sebastian and Romero that Eduardo and Ricardo were at the hotel in town to date Catalina and Martina, the two jealous lovers (Sebastian and Romero), stormed the hotel to cause a row and fought with their romantic adversaries.

In order to win Lupe to her side, Adela decided to expose Carmelo's scheming to Lupe. She told him that Carmelo has gone round town to announce to all that Lupe has accepted him (Carmelo), as his true son. Lupe was surprised. Lupe thought that Antoniete was merely conspiring against Carmelo, but when he too went round town to ask every body, he was shocked to learn for the first time that truly, that was what Carmelo's favorite song in the village for years.

Emilia intensified her wars against Catalina, she reported to Sebastian that her espionage network reported that Catalina had gone to meet with Eduardo at the hotel. Sebastian thanked her and set forth, and he found it to be true. He however overheard from the doorway, how Catalina was lambasting Eduardo and telling him that Sebastian was the love of her life and even if he was a foreman , she has discovered Sebastian was her true love and would never love Eduardo again.

Sebastian was thrilled by this honest and fervent confession of love by Catalina, he withdrew quietly and went home to wait for her. As soon as Catalina came in, he told her not so say anything, because he already knew what happened, and saluted her courage and loyalty, joyfully telling her that she truly was the love of his own life too. They reconciled for the umpteenth time and began to 'celebrate' the renewal of their love with kisses, Catalina was filled with tearful joy of relief and, ...

He promised Catalina that he would never doubt her again, (unfortunately, he couldn't fulfill this promise because of his incredible naivety). He told her that there was a secret he wanted to reveal to her, but she should give him some few minutes to go and announce first, to Lupe that they have (finally?) reconciled, after which he would come home to celebrate their love, and he would announce the secret to her.

Thank God, Martina too reconciled with Romero, after the intervention of the priest, Father Geronimo.

The camp of love adversaries have scattered, Eduardo returned with shame to Silvia in Mexico city, having lost out in the battle of love. Adela and her 'AGVO team-mates' (remember, I christened them as Association of Greedy and Vain Opportunists), secretly re-grouped and plotted a counter attack. Emilia suggested they should turn the victory of Catalina to an ugly defeat and romantic humiliation.

They designed for vanity boy, Ricardo and his mom, Adela, to go to the church premises pretending to be gisting and boasting that they made Catalina to use Eduardo to successfully fool Sebastian by that 'arrangee' encounter at the hotel.

They also designed for Carmelo to lure Sebastian to the church, pretending to want to reconcile with him and asking him to come inside the church in the presence of 'God' to swear that they would no longer harbor grudges against each other again. Through that scheme, they hoped to sow the seed of doubt over the recent reconciliation, and thereby reverse the victory of Catalina over Emilia.

When Sebastian saw Lupe, he announced his reconciliation, and told Lupe that Catalina has passed the test of love. He said he wanted to reveal the truth to her that he (Sebastian) was the true son of Lupe who swapped places with the real foreman, Carmelo. Lupe told him not to rush into decision but give it some more days for the reconciliation to endure.

In the midst of their indecision, Marcelo, (Carmelo's best friend and accomplice) arrived and told Sebastine that Carmelo was waiting for him by the church, to also reconcile with him, in the presence of God. Naive Sebastian agreed to meet Carmelo to reconcile with him.

On getting there, as they were both 'reconciling' their differences, he overheard Adela and Ricard at a corner in the church, gisting away on how they succeeded to make Catalina to fool Sebastian with an arrangee love confessions. Sebastian charged at them and demanded to know if their claims were true!

Silvia got to know through Luis, Alicia and Patricia, her best friend, that Eduardo did not travel to Guadalajara (sounded more like our Gwagwalada in FCT Nigeria), as announced, but to Hacienda, to meet Catalina at the ranch. Silvia was depressed and refused the advice of Patricia to divorce Eduardo. She said she would rather go for surgical operation to remove her non-existing wrinkles, in order to stand beauty and wooing competition with Catalina.

Emilia visited Catalina to tell her that her victory would soon be short-lived. Ruffina also visited Catalina to warn her not to make her boy, Sebastian, sad anymore, after this reconciliation. Gustavo and Luisa also visited Catalina to tell her that they had to sell her engagement ring, in order to get money to transport themselves to the ranch to warn her that Adela, Ricardo and Emilia were secretly planning to harm her relationship with Sebastian. They gave her the receipt of the sale of her engagement ring. Catalina told them not to worry, because she has finally reconciled with her hubby, and nothing would (ever?) come between them again.

Sebastian suddenly concluded from that hearsay that Catalina had once again betrayed him, he went straight to the Cantina to get himself drunk. He broke down and wept profusely, Marcelo quickly went to congratulate Carmelo that the trick worked and that Sebastian was already weeping at the bar. Sebastian went home to accuse her of betrayal!

Lupe's Great Folly!

Ding, ding dong, ... ding, ding, ding, ding, ding dong,... Catalina y Sebastian is already going through its own telenovela 'see-saw'. The on-and-off repetitions of scenes have been going on for some time now.

Emilia succeeded in dragging a drunken Sebastian to her house to pass the night with her. Unfortunately however, Sebastian was too consumed with his own grieve and sorrow to be of any sexual use to Emilia. He slept like a log of wood throughout the night. But rumors went spread like wildfire round about the village that Sebastian slept with Emilia that night in her house.

Emilia later went to meet Catalina alone at home and boasted (of course, lying) that Sebastian had sex with her all-night in her house, and accused Catalina of starving Sebastian of affection, which she (Emilia), have begun to supply to him without limit. She then 'advised' Catalina to pack her luggage and leave, if she still had any pride left in her after 'losing' her matrimonial bed to another woman.

Sebastian returned to his shack in the morning and issued decrees that Catalina should never set eyes on Carmelo again, and that she should never be seen in the company of any man, even if it means she had to be indoors for the six months duration of the 'managed marriage'. Catalina agreed to these ridiculous 'decrees' as her sacrifice to prove to Sebastian that she truly loved him.

She begged him to give her another chance and that it was Emilia who brought the hat... He stopped her from mentioning or dragging Emilia's name into her affairs with Carmelo. He wondered aloud what would he find under the bed, next time, if he gave her another chance, as she requested? While the couple was eating, Lupe came to warn Catalina not to drag the name of his 'son' Carmelo into her immoral acts. Catalina broke down crying, Sebastian did not refute or defend her.

Carmelo too succeeded in manipulating the sympathetic feelings of Lupe, by pestering him by his frustrating search for his unknown father. He told him how his new role as his acting son had put him to ridicule in town as everyone calls him a bastard and an usurper.

Lupe comforted him and assured him that he would give him the love of a father and would shower him with affections and also announce to the whole village that he would henceforth be treating Carmelo as if he were his son.

This foolish decision of Lupe, thrilled Carmelo and he ran about town boasting to every hear that cared to listen to him that Lupe would soon announce to the whole village and publicly acknowledge him as his son! Lupe also dragged Sebastian to come and apologize to Carmelo for falsely accusing him of having an affair with Catalina.

The "Association of Greedy and Vain Opportunists" (A.G.V.O) led by their chairperson, Adela Negrete, took decision to invade the ranch for their selfish motives. Eduardo lied to Silvia that he was going to another city called Guadalajara, but drove Adela and Ricardo to the ranch in his sports car, hoping to woo Catalina, Ricardo hoping to woo Martina and Adela hoping to collect more money from Carmelo for Catalina's sake (LOL).

Antoniete's joy was cut short. She happily reminded Emilia of their secret pact to give her the baby of Sebastian so she could raise the boy to hate Lupe. Emilia confessed to her that nothing happened between Sebastian and her because he slept like a log of wood all night on her bed. Antoniete warned her that if she (Emilia) did not bring back any result, she would switch camp to Catalina.

Martina and Romero went to meet Father Geronimo in an attept to find solution to their strained relationship. on listening to how martina described her 'great' romantic feelings for Ricardo when he kissed her, Romero was nauseated and walked away for fresh and unpolluted air.

While there, Adela and her AGVO team-mates arrived in Eduardo's car. As Adela stepped into the mansion, Rufina chased her away, saying she would not have the courtesy she enjoyed the last time, because the owner Lupe, is around and hated her guts. Adela went straight to Sebastian's hovel to see Catalina, while Ricardo and Eduardo rented a room at the hotel in town.